Northern B.C. doctor calls for RSV shots to be available to all infants

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Northern B.C. doctor calls for RSV shots to be available to all infants – CBC

by tmnationtalk on January 20, 202532 Views

Doctor who travelled to Seattle for nirsevimab dose says more should be done to address inequity

Jan 20, 2025

When Dr. Patrick Hemmons’s daughter Saoirse was born pre-term late last year, he wanted to protect her ahead of the coming respiratory illness season.

Hemmons, who is a family physician practising in northern British Columbia, wanted to get her a dose of nirsevimab, which can protect babies from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). But the monoclonal antibody is not widely available in the province, and Hemmons had to travel to a clinic in Seattle to secure a dose for his daughter.

“We were pretty worried before and especially with RSV cases rising throughout the province,” Hemmons said.

“It’s kind of a shame that we had to — in northern B.C. — fly down to Vancouver, drive across down to Seattle and all this hassle to get something that is recommended as something that all infants in Canada should have access to.”

RSV usually causes a minor cold, but can lead to severe illness in vulnerable groups. Older adults and newborns are among those most at risk.